My Experience at Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions

December 28, 2016 / 4:01 PM

By: Matthew Gibson

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2016 has been a grand celebratory of all things Pokémon, which of course is related to the franchise’s 20th anniversary. The series, like many other trainers, means a lot to myself, so I was happy to cap the year off by attending Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions in London last week.

The concert involved tunes from the main series of games, from the original Red and Blue to X/Y, re-imagined by a symphonic orchestra in glorious fashion. There’s around three songs representing each generation (with some being medleys), so there’s something for every fan. Whether it’s infiltrating Team Rocket’s base, adventuring through Hoenn’s Victory Road, or walking along Route 10 in Unova, there’s bound to be some nostalgia value for you in the one and a half hour show. You can simply listen to some of their renditions on YouTube, but attending the actual performance just has that extra something you just can’t describe, and it is far different than viewing it online. If video-game music is your thing, I heartily recommend you check out Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions (and if you want to spoil yourself they’ll be a tracklist down below, but save it for the actual event).

The question is, however, on where to go from here. It is simply a delightful and magical event, but like a pocket monster itself, the concert could do even more wonders if it were to evolve. You may have noticed the abscence of the recently released Pokémon Sun and Moon when I mentioned the games included. I feel that it’d only be fitting if tracks from this generation were added too. It would also be neat to see some spin-off games being represented too, say Primal Dialga’s theme from the Pokémon Mystery Dungeon series or Magikarp Festival from Pokkén Tournament for example.

But that’s not to say Pokémon: Symphonic Evolutions wasn’t a great night. Seeing the orchestra perform the beginning moments of Diamond and Pearl struck some sort of chord with me, and that experience, as well as the whole event for that matter, is something that I simply will never forget. So whether an Ace Trainer or just a newbie, if you have any love for Pokémon, then don’t hesitate to check this show out. I’m certain you won’t regret it.

As promised here is the track-list in the order of playing. If you don’t want to spoil yourself please look away but if you want to know what you’re in for, feel free to give the list a quick glance.

About the author /

Like many other game writers, Matthew was brought into the gaming world from a young age. He aspires to be a games journalist in the future. Oh, and he's from the UK, so there's that. He also does Nintendo Podcast System, just in case there isn't enough Nintendo on this site.